Dear Jane
Sorry I didn’t make it home today. I didn’t look out for myself. I didn’t look out for you.
I didn’t think about what it meant to not come home, to not see the dog wag his tail, the children making a mess and to see you, my wife happy amongst our wonderful self-made chaos.
I’m sorry we didn’t go to all the places we dreamed about. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see the children grow up. I’m sorry I can’t take the bins out, do the gardening and wash your car anymore. I’m sorry we didn’t get to laugh together one last time.
I’m sorry that today, I didn’t make it home.
Danny

Dear Mum
As I write this letter from beyond, my heart is full of the love and gratitude I have always felt for you. Words seem inadequate to express the depth of my appreciation for everything you have done for me.
You have been my guide, my rock, and my greatest supporter. I am eternally grateful for the life you have given me.
As a young man the fragility of life is but a foreign concept to me, it hardly ever occurs to me that one day I may never come home, one day I may never be in the warmth of your love and care, one day I may never be able to make you proud of the man that I have become.
I am sorry mum, I am sad I didn’t come home today.
Kelvin

Hey Gorgeous,
If you’re reading this letter, I didn’t make it home and I want you and Jack to know how much I love you both.
You have both made my life so full in ways that I could have never imagined and for that I will be eternally grateful.
I knew from our first date that you were the one for me and that hasn’t changed.  You make me laugh like no other and at times with no words, just that cheeky glint in your eyes.  You also gave me Jack, which is what makes me so proud of us.
I’m sorry I won’t be there to grow old with you and Jack with his own family, but I will always be there.
Love you forever
Jo

These are just three of many moving letters penned by members of the travel team at Wood PLC, a global consulting and engineering business, as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of travelling safely.

Instigated by its team in Kazakhstan, the ‘Make it Home’ campaign grew into a global initiative where team members made signs with their personal messages to a family member, loved one – or even their pet – to highlight why it’s vital to take care of their own safety and the safety of colleagues.

“In travel we talk about air fares and hotel rates, we talk about service and savings, but our primary function is to get our travellers to where they are going and ensure that they make it home,” explained Danny Cockton, Vice President Global Travel Services and the writer of the letter to Jane.

The campaign was so powerful, some of the team were unable to write personal letters due to the emotion that it brought.

Size limits

Travel risk management is something that no company, whatever its size, can afford to ignore but for smaller organisations it’s not always given the attention it requires.

“The size of the organisation does not diminish the potential negative impact if a traveller is caught in an incident they are unprepared for; the consequences are significant regardless,” says Bex Deadman, Co-founder and Director of Travel Risk Academy.

“However, it is uncommon for SMEs to implement a travel risk management strategy or collaborate with third parties to manage their travel risks.”

Limited resources, in terms of budget, time and having the people with the right expertise, can make it challenging.

“SMEs often lack dedicated personnel to own and manage travel risks and solutions. It is uncommon for SMEs to have travel managers, and when they outsource to travel management companies it is usually driven by operational needs rather than risk management,” adds Deadman.

Wayne Lappage, Senior Global Travel and Expense Manager at Yunex Traffic and an ITM Board Director, identifies other challenges for SMEs to meet their duty of care responsibilities.

“In many cases it is harder to fulfil that obligation at SME or start-up companies as out-of-channel bookings and rogue booking behaviour is more common. Cost is often wrongly viewed as a priority over employee safety and wellbeing,” he observes.

But while SMEs might lack the resource and expertise, there are some benefits to their diminutive size.

“With the right approach, SMEs can be just as agile, if not more so, in adapting to changing global risks,” says Michael Rogers, Chief Security Analyst at International SOS.

He believes that while a large company might have extensive resources, the sheer scale of its operations can sometimes slow down decision-making processes.

“On the other hand, SMEs, with their more streamlined structures, can implement changes quickly and effectively.”

Deadman at Travel Risk Academy agrees: “Surprisingly, managing travel risk can be easier for SMEs since they have fewer travellers and simpler internal processes.”

Lee Whiteing, Consultant at GSA Global, recognises that there may be greater flexibility and agility in how SMEs manage their business, but he warns this might mean managers have to be ‘multi-hatted’ and carry responsibilities for travel risk outside of their normal duties and experience.

“An HR lead, for example, may not have the expertise to undertake a security assessment of a traveller’s destination country or know how to handle a critical incident involving a traveller caught-up in an event abroad.”

Despite the challenges, Whiteing says SMEs are becoming more aware of the need to protect their travellers, driven by “litigation, associations/trade unions raising concerns, health and safety law becoming more widely audited against, social media commentary on travel, and travellers’ own experience of what can go wrong when abroad”.

“Also, many employers are increasingly seeing the value in looking after their people,” he adds.

Cost control

Experts insist that travel risk management doesn’t have to be expensive.

“The idea that travel risk management must be costly is a common misconception,” says Mel Quinn, Director of Corporate Travel at Travel Counsellors for Business.

“It’s more about prioritising the right things. Effective risk management can actually save money in the long run, as the cost of an unforeseen event can far exceed the investment in a solid risk management plan,” she explains.

The complexity and cost of arrangements should be proportionate to the degree of risk faced, suggests GSA’s Whiteing.

“An organisation engaged in prospecting for oil and gas in hostile and remote environments will need different resources to address risks as compared to a company where a handful of employees take a weekly train journey between branch offices in different parts of the country,” he explains.

So, where should SMEs start?

“Begin by recognising that travel is a shared responsibility with a ripple effect across the entire business,” advises Deadman.

“Consider the traveller’s journey from start to finish and identify the touchpoints. It doesn’t matter what area of the business you are in – you might be an office manager, EA/PA, data-security specialist, or a traveller.”

She recommend gathering a group of representatives from different areas of the business.

“For an SME, this could include EAs, IT, operations, marketing, and finance. If possible, secure an executive sponsor early on, although this can be challenging due to their busy schedules. Most importantly, involve the travellers themselves.”

Set up a meeting or a workshop, says Deadman, to discuss all potential risks that can occur during a trip.

“Consider everything from illness and delays to asset protection and major incidents. Take into account the diverse needs of travellers, including mental and physical health, capabilities, activities, the destinations they are traveling to and the reasons why.”

Traveller tracking is key, says Quinn at Travel Counsellors for Business. “Implement a simple system for tracking travel itineraries and set up a reliable communication process so travellers can easily get in touch during emergencies,” she advises.

“Focus should be on pre-trip information like travel alerts and on-trip visibility of movements across the globe and access to help when needed.

“Education is also key. Provide your employees with clear guidance on destination-specific risks and how to handle unexpected events. These fundamental steps will help you build a solid foundation for travel risk management.”

Whiteing recommends testing travel arrangements in a simulated exercise of a likely scenario, such as a terror alert.

“You will be surprised at how much you learn, how much it brings your team together and how valuable it is to practice before the real thing could happen,” he says.

“We cannot commend this enough as it can make the difference between reputational catastrophe and success.”

Full coverage

When things go wrong, having adequate business travel insurance is essential but it’s not always easy.

Insurance companies were hit financially by the Covid pandemic and are also wary of taking on the additional complexities of European travel in the post-Brexit world, so it’s become more difficult to find the right policies. Remote working has also made insurance companies nervous.

Heather Haggis, Head of Advantage Financial Services Limited (AFS), says many organisations are turning to their TMCs to help them find insurance cover, which is why earlier this year AFS acquired insurance broker Cork, Bays & Fisher and has sourced suppliers who are niche and specialists in the corporate travel sector.

Applying for corporate travel insurance can be a lengthy and complex process but earlier this year, travel insurance specialist battleface introduced a streamlined business travel insurance product aimed at SMEs with two to 500 employees.

Online applications take just a few minutes and organisations don’t need to provide detailed travel itineraries or medical information for each traveller.

The battleface product also takes into account the rise in ‘blended’ travel, providing coverage for business travellers who add on leisure time to their trips.

Other top tips

Bex Deadman, Travel Risk Academy: Remember that travel risk management isn’t just about employees; it also includes processes for contractors and guest travellers.

Lee Whiteing, GSA Global: Never underestimate how important it is to work with the families of employees caught-up in incidents or events abroad.

Michael Rogers, International SOS: Travel risk management is an ongoing process so review and update your policies and procedures regularly to stay current with global risks.

Mel Quinn, Travel Counsellors for Business: Ensure that travellers feel genuinely cared for and supported, not just protected by formal travel risk policies.